Chapter 3

These are the descendants of Moses and Aaron: Yet only the sons of Aaron are mentioned. However, they are considered descendants of Moses because he taught them Torah. This teaches us that whoever teaches Torah to the son of his fellow man, Scripture regards it as if he had begotten him - [Sanh. 19b]

4Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they brought alien fire before the Lord in the Sinai desert, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar, however, served as kohanim in the presence of Aaron, their father.

that they may serve him: What form does this service take? “They shall keep his charge” (verse 7). Since guarding the Sanctuary so that no stranger (non- kohen) should come near is his obligation, as it says, “You, your sons, and your father’s house with you, shall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary” (Num. 18:1), and these Levites assisted him this was the service.

They shall keep his charge: Any office to which a person is appointed and [the duty] he is bound to carry out, is מִשְׁמֶרֶת in Scripture and in Mishnaic idiom, as in reference to Bigthan and Teresh [where it says], “But my duty is not similar to your duty” (Meg. 13b), [meaning that the hours of my service do not coincide with those of yours]. Similarly [we find the word used in the clause],“The watches (מִשְׁמְרוֹת) of the kehuna and of the Levites.”

the charge of the children of Israel: All of them were bound [to take care of] the needs of the Sanctuary, but the Levites were in their stead, as their agents. Thus, in reward, they [the Levites] take tithes from them [the Israelites], as it says,“for it is your reward, in exchange for your service” (Num. 18: 31).

from the children of Israel: Heb. מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, like מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, from among the children of Israel, that is to say, they have been singled out for this purpose from the rest of the congregation by the decree of the Omnipresent, and He gave them to him, as it says, “And I have given the Levites, they are… given” (Num. 8:19).

from among the children of Israel: That the Israelites should have to hire them for My service? I gained My right to them through the [Israelite] firstborns, taking them [the Levites] in their place. For [originally] the service was performed by the firstborns, but when they sinned by [worshipping] the [golden] calf, they became disqualified. The Levites, who had not committed idolatry, were chosen in their stead. [Midrash Aggadah]

13For all the firstborns are Mine; since the day I smote all the firstborns in the land of Egypt, I sanctified for Myself all the firstborns of Israel, both man and beast they shall become Mine, I am the Lord.

From the age of one month and upward: When he is no longer in the category of [possible] premature birth, he is counted among those called, “keepers of the holy charge.” R. Judah the son of R. Shalom said: That tribe is accustomed to being counted from the womb, as it says, “whom she bore to Levi in Egypt” ; as she entered the gate of Egypt, she bore her [Jochebed], yet she [Jochebed] was counted as one of the seventy souls. For if you count their total, you find only sixty-nine, but she completed the number. [Mid. Tanchuma , Bamidbar 16]

16So Moses counted them according to God's word, just as he was commanded.

טזוַיִּפְקֹ֥ד אֹתָ֛ם משֶׁ֖ה עַל־פִּ֣י יְהוָֹ֑ה כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר צֻוָּֽה:

according to God’s word: Moses said to the Holy One, blessed is He, “How can I enter their tents to know the number of their sucklings?” The Holy One, blessed is He, replied to him, “You do yours, and I will do Mine.” Moses went and stood at the entrance to the tent, and the Divine Presence preceded him. A heavenly voice then emanated from the tent, saying, “There are this many babies in this tent.” That is why it says, “according to God’s word.” [Num. Rabbah 3:9]

The families of the sons of Kohath shall camp to the south: Near them was the division of Reuben, who camped to the south. Woe to the wicked, woe to his neighbor! This explains why Dathan, Abiram, and two hundred and fifty men were smitten with Korah and his congregation, for they were drawn into the dispute along with them. [Tanchuma, Bamidbar 12]

The prince over all the princes of the Levites: He was appointed over all of them. In what regard was he prince over them? “The appointment of all the keepers of the charge of the Holy” - they were all appointed by him.

38Camping in front of the Mishkan, in front of the Tent of Meeting to the east were Moses, Aaron and his sons, the keepers of the charge of the Sanctuary as a trust for the children of Israel; any outsider who approaches shall be put to death.

Moses, Aaron and his sons: Near them was the division of the camp of Judah, next to whom camped Issachar and Zebulun. It is good for the righteous, and it is good for his neighbor; because they were neighbors of Moses, who was engaged in Torah study, they became great Torah scholars, as it says, “Judah is my lawgiver” (Ps. 60:9). The descendants of Issachar were those “who had understanding of the times” (I Chron. 12:32)… the two hundred heads of the Sanhedrin,“and from Zebulun came those who wield the scribe’s quill” (Jud. 5:14). [Tanchuma 12]

counted by Moses and Aaron: There are dots over the word וְאַהֲרֹן to show that he was not included in the sum of the Levites. [Bech. 4a]

אשר פקד משה ואהרן: נקוד על ואהרן, לומר שלא היה במנין הלוים:

twenty-two thousand: But when you count them individually, you will find another three hundred: the descendants of Gershon were seven thousand, five hundred; the descendants of Kohath were eight thousand, six hundred, and the descendants of Merari, six thousand, two hundred. Why were they not included with the rest to redeem the firstborn, thus exempting the two hundred and seventy-three firstborns who were in excess [of the number of Levites] from redemption (see verses 46-48)? Our Sages in Tractate Bechorot (5a) answer that those three hundred Levites were firstborns, and it was enough that they exempt themselves from redemption.

Count every firstborn male aged one month and upward: From the time he is no longer categorized as possibly a premature birth.

פקד כל בכור זכר וגו' מבן חדש ומעלה: משיצא מכלל ספק נפלים:

41And you shall take the Levites for Me I am the Lord instead of all firstborns among the children of Israel. And [take] the Levites' animals instead of all the firstborn animals of the children of Israel.

and the Levites animals…: The Levites’ animals did not redeem the clean firstborn animals of the Israelites, but their firstborn donkeys. One lamb belonging to a Levite could exempt many firstborn donkeys of an Israelite. The proof is that [Scripture] counts the excess number of [firstborn] men, but not the extra animals. [Bech. 4b]

As for the two hundred and seventy-three of the children of Israel who required redemption: The firstborn among them who require redemption-these are the two hundred and seventy-three in excess of the Levites; from them you shall take five shekels per head. Such was the sale [price] of Joseph, the firstborn of Rachel, [for the price was] twenty silver pieces [i.e., twenty dinarim, four of which equal a sela]. [Gen. Rabbah 84:18]

one thousand, three hundred and sixty-five: This is the sum total, at five shekels per head: for two hundred firstborn, a thousand shekels. For seventy firstborn, three hundred and fifty shekels; for three firstborn, fifteen shekels. He [Moses] said, “How shall I do it? If I tell a firstborn to give five shekels, he will tell me, 'I am one of those redeemed by the Levites.’” What did he do? He brought twenty-two thousand slips [of paper] and wrote on them, “Levite.” [Then] two hundred and seventy-three slips and wrote on them, “five shekels.” He jumbled them and put them into an urn and told them,“Come and take your slips according to lot.” [Sanh. 17a]